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If you’re a parent or guardian concerned about your child, welcome! I understand and appreciate that being a teenager, or the parent of a teenager, today can be stressful and can come with many challenges.
My experience as a specialist counsellor in Eating Disorders, as well as my work with unaccompanied minors arriving in Australia, in foster and kinship care and working with young people with disabilities has given me valuable insight into issues facing young people today.
Issues I’ve previously supported young people with include:
· Eating disorders and body relationship issues;
· Depression and low mood;
· Life transitions (i.e. grief and loss, moving countries, changing schools, divorce/parental separation);
· Anxiety;
· Identity;
· Relationship issues;
· Self-harm and suicidal thoughts;
· Social anxiety;
· Emotional regulation;
· Trauma
As with my other counselling services, I offer a brief, free meet-and-greet session over the phone to all young people and/or their parents/care givers interested in starting counselling. This typically takes 10-15 minutes and allows you all an opportunity to hear a little more about what to expect from counselling sessions and to reduce any possible anxiety regarding starting counselling.
Challenges and Benefits of Counselling
Before commencing sessions, it's important to be aware of potential benefits and challenges that may arise during the process of counselling. While counselling is usually a valuable and healing experience, it can also be challenging at times. For example, as therapy often involves discussing challenging aspects of one’s life, your child may experience uncomfortable feelings during or after our sessions, such as sadness, guilt, anger, frustration, loneliness and helplessness. Working through these emotions can sometimes lead to an intensification of challenging feelings and behaviours as the young person learns to develop and use new coping strategies. Talking about and developing additional strategies to manage discomfort and distress that may arise during the counselling process is important, and often forms a valuable part of the therapeutic process as we work towards long-term positive outcomes. This is also an area where I can provide support to you as caregiver, with additional ideas on how to support your young person at home and day-to-day.
Benefits of counselling may include:
Improved emotional well-being: Counselling can help adolescents develop more effective and helpful coping strategies, build resilience, and enhance their overall emotional well-being.
Enhanced self-awareness: Exploration of thoughts and feelings can lead to a better understanding of oneself; fostering personal growth and self-acceptance.
Improved communication skills: Counselling can assist adolescents in improving their communication skills enabling them to express their needs and concerns effectively.
Strengthened relationships: By addressing interpersonal issues and learning effective relationship patterns, counselling can improve relationships with family, friends, and peers.
Academic success: Counselling can help alleviate stress and anxiety related to academic pressures leading to improved focus, motivation, and capacity to focus on academic pursuits.
How does confidentiality work?
Counsellors who work with adolescents must balance protecting the adolescent’s right to privacy while at the same time respecting the parent's or guardian's concerns and right to information.
At Emily Stanley Counselling, your child’s counselling time is a time just for them and provides a space for them to develop a safe, respectful and trusting relationship with me as their therapist.
Typically, parents and guardians remain outside for the duration of sessions. However, you will be consulted about sessions and, depending on your child’s unique situation, you may at times participate in the sessions (for example, during our first session or as part of a discussion about strategies to implement at home).
To ensure an adolescent's privacy I will not provide detailed information to the parent/caregiver regarding what the child shared in session, unless the child provides consent or something is disclosed during the session that requires action (i.e. risk of harm).
General therapeutic themes, ideas and recommendations will be provided to you as parent/caregiver, as well as support and encouragement.
How many counselling sessions will my child/loved one need?
All sessions begin with an initial assessment and from here you, your child, and I can collaboratively make an informed decision about how many sessions is likely to be most helpful to your child. However, counselling is not linear and I find it most valuable to be flexible depending on what issues and needs are raised in sessions. Ultimately, it is up to you and your child how many sessions they attend and we can regularly review and discuss the topic as we progress.
Do you have further questions or would like to book a meet-and-greet session?
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